I’ve recently had the pleasure of having a number of discussions about professional selling with Peter Black – one of Sydney’s most highly regarded business and executive coaches. Peter is ex-PWC (but we won’t hold that against him!), and has been working for the last few years as a coach for senior executives from a range of industries, including finance, ICT, pharmaceuticals and professionals services.
Over the past 12 months, Peter’s work has included consulting to the outplacement firm DBM, where he has been involved with providing outplacement programs to retrenched employees from companies such as Dell, EDS, Microsoft, Qantas, Rio Tinto and Sensis, as well as conducting a range of personal career and executive coaching assignments.
After Peter and I attended a business breakfast a few weeks ago, I asked him to give me some insights into the people he had worked with and some tips I could share with my audience. Following are Peter’s overview of what’s happening in corporate Australia – and 3 things you should do – just in case you happen to be one of the many who will find their employment arrangements ending sooner that they had wanted.
Over to you, Peter.
Why are retrenchments happening – and how long will the situation last?
It’s fair to say it has been a busy 12 months for the outplacement industry as the GFC has impacted and companies have downsized, right sized, dehired or whatever euphemism is used.
I saw it pick up about the middle of 2008, accelerate after Lehmann Bros collapsed in September, pause in early 2009 and it is now taking off again. The government is forecasting unemployment will peak at 8.5% in 2011 so I think we still have a way to go.
It is also becoming more best and accepted practice where there is a redundancy to provide career transition services to the affected employees to assist them to position themselves appropriately into whatever they want to do next. Career transition services will normally include a personal coach, use of office facilities, online training, assistance with resume, interviewing and networking skills and most importantly, an opportunity to consider one’s personal and career goals.
Do you see any common themes to retrenchments?
Firstly, it is normally a business decision that companies make and it is a redundancy of the position not the person, even if you take it personally as we all tend to do. I must admit that sometimes employers do find that a redundancy is an easier way to exit what we might call a “difficult” employee although care needs to be taken if that is the case. Continue Reading…
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